Beech: the party hardwood

f TmqUe for its chips being used \,/ in the brewing and aging of a popular beer, beech is also used in many other apptcations.

Major uses include furniture, boxes, millwork, flooring, woodenware, novelties, truck body parts, toys, dowels, bobbins, spools, ties, and a multitude of other turnings.

Beech, which is occasionally marketed as red and white beech depending on its color, has a reddish-brown heartwood with a thin pale sapwood.

The unique sapwood gives the hardwood its distinct light appearance.

It has a straight, close, interlocking grain that is porous. It is strong, shock resistant, and readily bends under steam. It also holds nails well, although it has a tendency to split.

It takes paint, stain and bleach well. The hardwood is ranked above average in its planing and shaping qualities.

It is heavier than other hardwoods, with an an average density of 45 lb./cu. ft. and requires care in working. It has a tendency to sbrink and requires careful drying to prevent splitting and distortion.

Similar to oak in strength, beech readily absorbs preservatives, but is not considered particularly decay resistant.

It falls between syc:rmorc and hard maple in hardness.

The most common species found in the Appalachian area, Southern regions and throughout the eastern United States, except for southern Florida, is the American beech tree (fagus grandifulia). The Carolina beech, Fagus grandifulia caroliniana, is a less common species.

In the Appalachian area, it is often found growing in pure stands on the lower east and northern slopes of the mountains and its unique gray color makes it noticeable along the mountainside.

It grows best in parts of the country that are well-drained, but not on lands worked over long periods or on swamps.

Story at a Glance

Similar to plain sawn sycamore bleaches well good for furniture used in the brewing of a popular beer.

A very slow growing tree, it may require approximately 2OO years to reach saw timber size (14"-16") in the Northern limits of its range.

In the South, the growing time is cut in half because of the longer growing seasons.

In size, beech, also known as sweet beech, is about average with other sawn logs, reaching heights ranging from 80'-120' with trunks 3'-4' in diameter.

Similar to plain sawn sycamore, beech contains less crowded and smaller pith rays. It can be difficult identifying it after it is cut.

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